Acne is a skin disorder that, because of the appearance, can have a huge effect on the lives of teenagers. The medical people have their own ideas on what it is.
Here is the definition from Mayo Clinic:
“Acne is a skin condition that occurs when your hair follicles become plugged with oil and dead skin cells. It often causes whiteheads, blackheads or pimples, and usually appears on the face, forehead, chest, upper back and shoulders. Acne is most common among teenagers, though it affects people of all ages”
This is the same things that were said when I was a kid so I invested in scrubs and other things to keep the oil from building up on my face and quite frankly there wasn’t any really help. Now days, they even have prescription drugs that you can buy and take. Some are antibiotics that are supposed to kill the bacteria that move into the follicles. Other medication reduce oil production, and still others target inflammation.
Let’s take these one by one.
Antibiotics
When you take an antibiotic that medication doesn’t just go to the face and act there, It goes throughout the body attacking all kinds of bacteria all over the body. That may sound good but we have literally trillions of microorganisms in our body, in fact you have more bacterial in your body than you do cells. The majority of these bacteria provide vital functions for your health. When you take an antibiotic, you start randomly destroying some of these bacteria which can throw off the delicate balance that is required for good health.
Reduce Oil Production
oil production in the body is important for keeping your skin young vibrant and healthy. Also you need oil for countless other functions in the body on a daily basis. When you take a pill which reduces this production, you still start having problems with your health that could have been avoided.
Anti-Inflammatory
are well known for having an affect on the cardiovascular system. They also can contribute huge to stomach and other gastrointestinal problems.
There is another viewpoint.
The research I have seen recently shows that acne is commonly associated with eating something you are allergic to. Eating something that is toxic to your body causes your body to start an inflammatory response. Gluten is one of the worst problems now because the outward symptoms aren’t as severe as to make you concerned. For instance if you are allergic to some foods, you will have a sore throat or redness or maybe an upset stomach.
I came across this information about 5 years ago. Since then, when patients come to me with this problem – I suggest they go on a gluten free diet. Of those who actually follow the diet, over 90% have cleared up their acne.
I strongly urge you to follow this diet if you or someone you love is dealing with this issue. Start out by just committing to it for 3 weeks. You should be able to notice a difference in that time not only in your skin, but also how you feel in general. If you notice some difference but not the degree you wanted, you may need to go to a fully grain free diet. After you go gluten free, it’s not as hard. You can have all the meat, fish and chicken you want, all the veggies (except corn which is a grain but some consider a vegetable) and also a little bit of fruit mostly berries to avoid high sugar content.
Need help?
I would be happy to consult with you for an individual plan and help you through this. call 402-333-4848 to schedule your consultation.
yours in Health,
Dr. Jack Belitz, DC
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